In March, The BV was the only news outlet in the county to report on a damning House of Commons inquiry which ranked Dorset among the worst-served areas in the UK for rural transport – exposing how threadbare bus networks are deepening social inequality. The situation hit closer to home in April, when we reported that Dorset Council had unveiled its much-vaunted Bus Service Improvement Plan – and conspicuously overlooked North Dorset, the county’s most underserved region.
The public reaction was swift and vocal. The BV’s inbox filled with letters, and our anonymous Grumbler column echoed the mounting frustration: rural communities, already isolated, were being left even further behind.
Now, just weeks later, Dorset Council has announced a suite of improvements to North Dorset’s bus services – including more frequent routes, better links to rail services, and the long-awaited return of a full Saturday timetable.
New services take effect Saturday 24 May
From next weekend, the CR2 route (Shaftesbury–Gillingham) will operate half-hourly across most of the day, six days a week, offering easier connections to the CR3 (Sturminster Newton–Gillingham) and improved access to Gillingham railway station. The CR3 itself gains Saturday services and a retimed weekday schedule, linking villages like Marnhull and Motcombe more effectively with both local towns and rail connections.
Residents will now be able to reach Sherborne from Shaftesbury in under an hour via a combined bus-and-train journey – with return trips in just 45 minutes, making day trips and commutes far more viable.
A new £1 Gillingham Town Ticket also offers unlimited local travel for a day, encouraging greener choices for quick hops around town without the car.
Cllr Derek Beer (Shaftesbury) praised the changes, calling them ‘vital for a thriving, connected community’, adding: ‘These improvements make travel easier, more frequent, and better linked with rail services, creating a seamless transport network. Strengthening links between buses and trains helps residents move around Dorset without relying on a car.‘ South Western Railway’s Andrew Ardley said the improvements will open up Shaftesbury and its surroundings to travellers from across the south.
Officially, it’s down to funding and forward planning. Whether by strategy or spurred on by a small storm of rural indignation, the wheels of North Dorset’s public transport are, at last, turning in the right direction.
It’s a start – but no more! We have so many outlying villages that can’t get to a main town to catch a bus. If you live in the likes of Okeford Fitzpaine and don’t have a car – you are basically stuffed!! I get so frustrated as to why on earth vulnerable single mums are often housed in these areas when they dont have a car – it puts huge pressure on the voluntary sector to step in and help them – which we are pleased to do – but housing could work so much smarter!